Do I need to add soil when growing orchids with pine bark? How to deal with it?

1. Do you need to add soil?

When using pine bark to grow orchids, there is no need to add soil. Because it likes to grow in a breathable and well-drained substrate, which is beneficial to its growth. Adding loess will make it more difficult. You can mix some clean perlite, cinder ash, etc. in it. This combination can create a breathable growing environment. If you want to add some soil, you can add some pine needle soil. Please note that pine bark must be defatted and fermented before use, and then disinfected and sterilized after being decomposed. If it is used directly without treatment, it may easily cause the death of the plant.

2. How to deal with it

1. Collect the pine barks, smash them with a hammer, break them into small pieces of a certain size, and then soak them thoroughly in water.

2. Prepare a sealed plastic bag, put the bark in it, and then tie the mouth tightly. Place it in the sun and wait for about 2-3 months for it to be decomposed. You will see signs of blackening on the bark.

3. Scald the decomposed bark with boiling water to sterilize and disinfect it, and prevent later infection.

4. Let the processed bark dry, then mix it with other substrates and it is ready for use.